Zaboo Hazy IPA

Zaboo Hazy IPA by Switchback Brewing Co. is being evaluated as a Hazy IPA (Category 21C) from the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines.

This beer’s aroma opens up with a moderately high amount of pineapple, pink grapefruit, white peach and sweet orange and rounding out with hoppy floral aromas. Minutes after pouring, notes of blueberry and dank hops, similar to Mosaic, become present.

The color is light golden with a hazy clarity, and a big, off-white, fluffy head crowned the glass beautifully.

There are lots of citrus flavors, similar to grapefruit and tangerine. Pineapple and floral notes are here too, mirroring the aroma. The malt profile is grainy and neutral, with little to no residual sweetness giving this beer a very dry finish. While the bitterness is high, the balance is decidedly toward the hop flavors.

Medium-bodied, with a moderately high carbonation level. There are no warming alcohols in the mouthfeel or flavor, which gives it a light drinkability. The neutrality of the malt makes it super-dry on the palate.

Overall, this is a very good beer that hits the hallmarks of the style without being too over the top. This beer resembles the original hazy IPAs of the 2010s in that the creaminess is low with no residual sweetness and the bitterness is higher.